Washington — Federal regulators have opened an investigation into Ford Motor Co.’s recall of nearly 49,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles last year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it is looking into Ford’s handling of the recall after receiving 12 complaints from car owners who said their vehicle was recalled and fixed but they still experienced problems with its battery.
Ford issued the recall in June 2022 for Mach-Es produced between May 27, 2020, and May 24, 2022. The automaker found high voltage battery main contactors could overheat from charging and other use, leading to overheating and damage and increasing the chance of power-loss or crashing.
Ford spokesperson Maria Buczkowski said in an email that the company is “working with NHTSA to support their investigation.”
Ford updated the software of affected vehicles to monitor contactor temperature, reduce battery power to prevent damage, and to better monitor and identify an overheated contactor. One owner told NHTSA their vehicle’s high voltage battery junction box failed again two days after receiving the software update.
Now, NHTSA estimates nearly 65,000 vehicles could be affected.
rbeggin@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @rbeggin